YETI Panga 100

The Panga is for paddlers who like their trips wet and wild: We filled it with sleeping bags, clothing, and other must-stay-dry gear for a trip down Utah’s Class III and IV Westwater Canyon, on the Colorado River, and had no qualms about dunking it or throwing it down among sharp rocks on shore. It’s made of burly 1680-denier ballistic nylon with TPU lamination all over, plus an extra-thick, molded-EVA bottom that thwarts punctures. “I roughed it up when unloading, but it didn’t even suffer a single scuff mark,” one tester says. We also dragged the Panga behind a truck down a rock-and-dirt road for about 10 minutes at 15 mph in the name of science, and only the straps suffered significant damage. A smooth-sliding, waterproof zipper flays the bag open, and the adjustable straps let you haul it like a backpack. (They lack padding, though.) Caveat: It ain’t cheap.

If you’ve experienced one slot, odds are good you’ll be back for more. Use these picks from Steve Howe, owner of Redrock Adventure Guides in Torrey, Utah, to stay safe and mobile in the Southwest’s iconic canyons.